Malaysian youths' mental health status at moderate level, study finds


PUTRAJAYA: The overall mental health of Malaysian youths is moderately satisfactory, a study by the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (IYRES) has found.

The Malaysian Youth Mental Health Index 2023 (MyMHI23) report said the average score for those aged between 15 and 30 was 71.91.

This served as a valuable early indication of potential mental health problems, the report said.

ALSO READ: Mental health cases among youth a worrying trend, says Dr Zaliha

MyMHI23 involved 5,867 respondents across seven domains – lifestyle, environment, personal characteristics, life experiences, social support, coping mechanism, and healthy mind – supported by 28 indicators.

“The lifestyle domain recorded the highest score at 88.51 indicating a satisfactory level, while environment had the lowest score with 65.45, representing a moderately satisfactory level,” read the report, launched at a hotel here on Monday (April 22).

The score used values ranging from 0 to 100 with a score of zero (0) being the lowest possible and 100 the highest.

The higher the score, the lower the risk of youth facing mental health issues and vice versa, the report added.

ALSO READ: How mental health and friendships affect each other

The report, launched by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, also identified intervention measures to improve mental health among youth.

It suggested creating less crowded living spaces with adequate basic facilities to promote a stress-free environment; increasing youth access to mental health services; and promoting a healthy lifestyle, including providing a healthy diet and physical regimen; among others.

MyMHI23 is the first index in Malaysia to measure youths' mental health status, in collaboration with the Youth and Sports Ministry and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), with support from relevant stakeholders.

ALSO READ: INTERACTIVE: Parent-child disconnect causing loneliness, depression and self-harm among teens

The collaboration aimed to raise awareness of mental health issues affecting youth in the country.

The full report can be downloaded from: https://www.iyres.gov.my/penyelidikan/senarai-penyelidikan

Also present at the launch of the index was Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Nation

Updated censorship guidelines focuses on public safety and culture, says Saifuddin
MCA condemns act of sending death threat to Teresa Kok
Orang utan not to be gifted to trading countries, should remain in habitat, says Sarawak minister
Sabah earned RM580mil from sales of crude oil to Shell, says Masidi
Sabah eying Middle East tourism market
Sabah looks at existing laws to not lose out on first carbon credits auction, says Masidi Manjun
RM1bil initiative to scale-up bumi firms
Johor Baru High Court issues gag order on Chegubard
China vital partner for Malaysia's telecommunication and digital economy development, says Teo Nie Ching
Cops investigating nature of recent police station attack, attempted Istana Negara trespass, says Saifuddin

Others Also Read